Monthly Archives: May 2007

Habbakuk on Ineptitude

•Babak Makkinejad: — You ask who made the decision to disband the Iraqi army, and why. A $60,000 question, one might say: particularly as disbanding the Iraqi army was so patently not in the interests of most Iraqis — and … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs | 16 Comments

The Axis of Ineptitude

"Moreover, any thought of using the old army was undercut by conditions on the ground. Before the 2003 war, the army had consisted of about 315,000 miserable draftees, almost all Shiite, serving under a largely Sunni officer corps of about … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs | 32 Comments

Iraq Roundup – 12 May, 2007

There are a number of thing to say about Iraq today. – The campaign against the bridges continues in Baghdad.  Two more bridges were attacked yesterday.  These were across the Diyala River in southeast Baghdad.  That makes five bridge attacks … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs | 25 Comments

“A Dayton Process for Iraq?” Rahim

Ambassador Rahim is on the lower left in happier days. My article "Towards a Concert of the Middle East" covered much the same ground in "The National Interest on Line."  The article can be read here on SST. Rahim’s formula … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs | 24 Comments

A Disaster Waiting…

  ""There’s two threats to the combat outpost . . . a huge truck bomb, and indirect fire," Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who handles day-to-day military operations in Iraq, said in an interview at his Baghdad headquarters last week. … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, The Military Art | 20 Comments

“They Fled to Syria?”

They fled to Syria?  Need I say more? Perhaps I should.  Syria has accepted a huge number of refugees as a result of the current war in Iraq, but Syria has also received for resettlement a great many Turkish Christians … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs | 13 Comments

A Man for NO Season

George Tenet – he was on "Meet the Press" today.  What a pitiful spectacle.  This is not a man.  This is a whining, sniveling, political bureaucrat, a spoiled child who, in his own mind, is never to blame for anything, … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs | 28 Comments

“As unstable as water…”

That’s what T.E. Lawrence said about Arabs in general, but I believe he was thinking of the bedu, the once nomadic tribal Arabs of the desert.  A lot of them live in towns now, visiting the desert when they can … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, The Military Art | 37 Comments

CPA and Sanchez rejected tribal help in ’03.

In response to my post yesterday concerning the present participation of Sunni Arab tribes in fighting Al-Qa’ida in Iraq, I received the message below from a retired senior Army intelligence officer who served in Iraq in 2003 and 2004.  This … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, Politics, The Military Art | 42 Comments

Has AQ met its match?

""Preliminary reports said he was killed yesterday in Taji area in a battle involving a couple of insurgent groups, possibly some tribal people who have problems with al-Qaida. These reports have to be confirmed." Tribesmen in the western Anbar province … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, The Military Art | 24 Comments